


Only shackled to the road will ever I be free.

by lotspot



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: NB Grantaire, Non-Binary Grantaire, Roadtrip, Trans Enjolras, also super self indulgent references, basically Enjolras' parents are horrible fucks, but luckily he has three people who really love him looking out for him, talk of conversion therapy, transphobia in the beginning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-04 09:59:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10274330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotspot/pseuds/lotspot
Summary: When Enjolras' abusive controlling parents end up on his heels he decides that would be a great time to take a spontaneous road trip in Combeferre's car to escape them.Combeferre, Courfeyrac and Grantaire are extremely worried and when they find out where he's gone they decide to follow him.Two separate Roadtrips happen until they reunite and it is quite the learning experience for all four of them...





	1. Escape

**Author's Note:**

> OK!!!!! OKIDOKIE!!! This is my first multi chapter fic in s o l o n g.   
> Anyways yeah ECCR roadtrip complete with awkward feelings and dumb declarations of love coming up! stay tuned!  
> I'm organising it so that the chapters alternate between the two perspectives; Enjolras, and CCR.
> 
> Trans Enjolras  
> NB Grantaire  
>  TW - Transphobia, talk of conversion therapy, deadnaming. Basically Enjolras' parents are real knobheads.

Enjolras sat stiffly on the couch. He jumped when he heard the doorbell ring. He straightened out his jacket and opened the door.

“Hello mother, father. Please come in.”

His voice was cold and detached. His parents took his place on the sofa. He stood awkwardly in front of them, not wanting to get comfortable. He knew it would never last.

“Amélie please sit down.”

“If you must use my first name I would appreciate it if you used Lucien. I am no longer your daughter. I was never your daughter. You are under my roof now and you will respect my rules.”

Enjolras’ mother sighed. “Please sit down.”

“I prefer to stand.”

Enjolras’ father stood up now. “We don’t want this to be an argument.”

“Yes you do.”

Enjolras’ father grabbed him by the wrist. “You will sit with us.”

The panic started to rise in Enjolras’ chest as he tried to peel his father’s hand from around his wrist. The grip was tight and Enjolras’ felt tears spring in his eyes at the thought of the bruises that would be left there the next day.

“Let go of me I am not your possession!” Enjolras’ gave his hand a specifically hard tug and freed his wrist. The suddenness of the movement sent Enjolras careering back into the bookcase behind him. A few books and the mug that had been precariously balanced there fell to the ground. The mug smashed at his feet.

“Shit!”

He bent down to pick up the broken shards. Suddenly his mother was bent down in front of him, helping.

“Look at you messing everything up again. It’s this lifestyle. You are not stable. Please come to this therapist.”

Enjolras laughed hysterically, “Are you blaming me breaking a mug on the fact that I’m trans? Oh my god!” He disregarded the shards on the floor and stood up. “Please leave. Now.”

“Amélie we are not leaving without you. This has gone on long enough. We refuse to watch you throw your life away anymore.”

“Don’t you understand this is the only time I’ve ever felt like I had a life?” Enjolras backed away but his voice continued to increase in volume. “Cut me off if you must. I have enough friends here who love me and will help me.”

“Where are they? Where are they now Amélie? Are they just another figment of your imagination? I know you used to imagine your friends when you were younger. It’s ok. The therapist can help you. Please come with us.”

Enjolras stared at his mother’s outstretched hand. “No! No. They are real you psychos. I’m an adult. You have no control over me. I don’t ever want to see either of you again. You are messing with my head.”

His father made a move to grab his arm but Enjolras pushed him back, sending him stumbling backwards into the coffee table. He saw the anger in his father’s eyes and swallowed his fear. This was not the time to back down.

“Young lady that is quite enough.”

“No. Get out of my apartment. Right now. And before you think that you can take the apartment away from me you should know that I moved it onto my account last month. I have a job I can pay my rent and I share it with Combeferre now and you can’t kick him out. You have nothing on me. Now get out before I call the police.”

Enjolras gripped his mobile in his hand and stared down his parents.

“This isn’t over.”

“Yes it is. It is over. This is it being over. This is over.”

He watched them leave. When he was sure they were gone he slammed and locked the door.

He pried open the back of his phone and removed the battery. To say he knew that this would happen was an understatement. He had been preparing for this for months. It was finally time to fully cut himself off from his parents.

He dug under his bed and pulled out his new phone, still untouched in its box, and fished his new sim card out of his pocket.

He leaned back against his bed and pulled his knees up to his chest. He couldn’t breathe properly. He tugged his shirt and his binder off in a desperate attempt to catch his breath.

The realisation that his parents could come back at any point suddenly hit him like a brick wall. They were undoubtedly still in the city. They were probably still in the neighbourhood. Enjolras got dressed again and shoved his new phone in his pocket. He would set it up later.

Grabbing his rucksack from his bed, he packed some clothes. He went to the kitchen and emptied a box of cereal bars into the rucksack too. He grabbed Combeferre’s car keys from the bowl by the door and sprinted out. He threw his bag into the front seat and drove away. The tears were running down his cheeks. He needed to calm down. Taking deep breaths, he focused on the road. Eventually he found himself on the outskirts of Paris. He pulled off into a service station and sat on the grass. He turned on his phone to call Combeferre before realising he had no one’s number on his new sim card. He mentally kicked himself. But he couldn’t go back now not for at least a week.

Besides, he really needed to gather his thoughts. Seeing his parents had sent his mind into a confused spiral. What if all his friends actually did hate him? Oh god, what if Combeferre got home to find Enjolras gone and grinned and invited everyone over to celebrate. Enjolras shook his head. No, he couldn’t think like that. He felt it begin to rain and he sighed and went back to the car.

Where was he going to go? He had a week and a car. Where could he go? Enjolras weighed up the options of going to stay with any of his other family members but disregarded it quickly. Once his parents realised he was gone that would be the first place they would check. He thought about his friends. No he needed to clear his head.

He thought back to 5 years ago. When he had been kicked out, he had taken it as a wonderful excuse to take his savings out of his parents’ hands and go inter-railing. That was how he’d met Combeferre. He had been talking to Combeferre online for years and when he heard about Enjolras’ situation he offered Enjolras a room with his family in The Hague. Being one of the most political cities in Europe it had been on Enjolras’ list anyways so he’d accepted.

Combeferre’s family had been wonderful and accepting and still wrote him regular letters.

He geared up the car and pulled out of the service station.


	2. Disappearance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grantaire, Combeferre and Courfeyrac weigh up their options at finding Enjolras missing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get to watch these three interact!!!! Love them!!!
> 
> special guest appearance from the Hell Parents (so more deadnaming/misgendering and transphobia)
> 
> Translations for Ferre's dutch will be at the bottom!

Grantaire shot a text off to Combeferre

_To Ferretje_

  1. _Are you home?_
  2. _Is Enjolras home?_



The reply was almost instant.

_From Ferretje_

  1. _No_
  2. _As far as I know yeah_



Grantaire nodded to themselves and put their phone back in their pocket. This week they had been building up the confidence to officially ask Enjolras out. They had both been dancing around the subject for months and it had definitely slipped into mutual flirting at some point. Grantaire couldn’t quite believe it but they had nothing to lose so why pretend anymore?

They walked up to Enjolras’ apartment building. They had a bunch of snowdrops that they had picked in their hands; they thought they were the most fitting flower as they meant hope. Someone else was leaving the apartment building so they didn’t even have to be buzzed in. The climb to Enjolras’ apartment was spent practicing what they were going to say despite knowing that all their words would probably fly out of the window the minute they were put face to face with Enjolras. Oh well, it was the thought that counted.

They raised their hand to knock on the door but frowned when they saw it was already ajar. They pushed the door open gently.

“Enjolras?”

There was no answer. Grantaire looked around the room. The coffee table was askew. Things had been knocked off it. There were books on the floor next to what looked like a smashed mug. Suddenly confusion turned to panic and Grantaire pulled their phone out and called Combeferre.

“Hello? Grantaire?”

“Combeferre you need to come home right now. Like right now.”

“Ok woah calm down. I’m kind of busy… is it urgent?”

“Combeferre would I call you if it wasn’t?” Grantaire found their voice strain as they tried to keep down their tears.

“Sorry of course. Um, Courf will be with me?”

“No that’s fine he should be here too. I’m at you’re apartment by the way.”

“Enjolras?”

“Combeferre please come home.”

 

Grantaire paced the room until they arrived.

“Grantaire what’s happened?”

Courfeyrac’s arms were around them before they could reply. They watched Combeferre take in the state of the apartment. He seemed to remain calm but Grantaire saw him clench his fists and when he unclenched them his hands were shaking.

“Where is Enjolras?”

Grantaire shook his head. “I don’t know I don’t know it was like this when I arrived. The front door was ajar.”

Courfeyrac grabbed their hand and squeezed it. “I’ll check his bedroom. Let’s not jump to conclusions. That won’t help us.”

Grantaire admired them both for being so rational but they suspected there was a lot more at play than they were letting on.

Courfeyrac came back from Enjolras’ bedroom with a grim look on his face. He held up the remnants of Enjolras’ phone. In his other hand was the box for a brand new phone.

Combeferre took the phone from Courfeyrac and looked it over.

“Ok so he has a new phone. That kind of organisation suggests premeditation, not kidnapping, so that’s good. The question now is why? And why would he leave?”

They all jumped at a knock on the door. Combeferre practically sprinted to the door.

“Where is Amélie?” Combeferre looked at the two people stood in the doorway with confusion. That soon turned to hostility.

“Who are you?”

“We are her parents. Who are you?”

Everything about that sentence caused all of them to put up all their defences. Enjolras didn’t talk about his parents much but what they knew was very bad.

“We are his friends.”

“Oh really? Well we know she is here. We can track her sim card and she is to come with us.”

Courfeyrac turned to Grantaire. “Well now we know why he got a new phone.” He whispered before turning to confront Enjolras’ parents.

“I’m sorry we haven’t seen your son since early this morning. He has left his phone behind. Do you have any other family members you can check in with? We’ve asked all our friends and they haven’t seen him either.”

Enjolras’ parents nodded. “Fine we will look elsewhere.”

Combeferre put on a really fake smile and watched them leave before slamming the door.

Grantaire turned to Courf “why would you tell them where to look? He’s clearly running from them!”

“Don’t be stupid. If Enjolras premeditated this as much as we think he would never go to a family member to hide.”

Grantaire considered this. He was right of course. Enjolras was smarter than that. “Ok where would he go?”

“I suggest we do a round of our friends first.” Combeferre said going to grab his car keys. “Godverdomme Enjolras. Courf can you check if my car is still parked downstairs?”

Courf nodded and left. Grantaire felt themselves begin to shake. “Oh god Ferre if he has your car he could be anywhere. God he could leave the goddamn country.” Combeferre walked over and grabbed Grantaire’s hands.

“We will find him.” He suddenly seemed to notice the bunch of snowdrops still gripped tightly in Grantaire’s fist. “Um Grantaire, why were you here in the first place?”

Grantaire followed Combeferre’s gaze to the flowers. “Um. I was gonna ask him out.” The words tumbled out of their mouth in one long mumbled string. They were almost convinced Combeferre hadn’t understood them until they were pulled into a tight hug.

“I’m so sorry. I mean I’m proud of you but also I’m sorry that this has happened.”

Courfeyrac burst back into the room. “Your car is gone Ferre.”

“Kutzooi. Ok Enjolras has my car.”

Grantaire sighed.

“Where would he go? If he had to leave Paris where would he go?”

“His parents are powerful. And by powerful I actually just mean rich and controlling. He’s dramatic. He would leave the country.” Courfeyrac added.

Ferre pried the snowdrops from Grantaire’s fist and laced his own fingers into Grantaire’s. He didn’t even really register it.

“Ok. But we don’t know anyone outside the country.”

At this Courfeyrac and Grantaire turned to Combeferre with matching incredulous looks. Courfeyrac wrapped his hand around Combeferre’s shoulders.

“Ferretje. Hun. Where do your family live?”

“Den Haag?”

“Would you not say that is... how you say… outside the country?”

Combeferre blushed. Grantaire gripped Combeferre’s hand tighter. “Ferre has Enjolras stayed with your family before? Would he know where they live?”

“Yes once when he was inter-railing. It was the first time we met. They still exchange regular letters.”

Courfeyrac’s face lit up and he grabbed Ferre’s hand. “That’s it! Ferre he must have gone to your family. He must have. There is no other option.”

Combeferre nodded he pulled out his phone.

“Hey mam! Even niet praten. Als Enjolras bij jullie komt laat hem niet gaan. Wij komen er zo snel mogenlijk achteraan. Lang verhaal. Hou van je!”

Combeferre hung up and dialed a new number.

“Hey Fee we need to borrow your car.”

*

Feuilly arrived 20 minutes later with Bahorel in tow.

“If you scratch her or damage her in any way I swear to god I will murder all three of you. I don’t care who is to blame.”

Ferre nodded solemnly as he took the keys from Feuilly.

“Thanks Fee.”

“May I inquire as to why you need her?”

“We are driving to Holland to find Enjolras who is fleeing the country from his parents and has taken Combeferre’s car to seek refuge with Ferre’s family.” Grantaire deadpanned.

Bahorel and Feuilly just stare at them.

Courfeyrac nodded and pushed Grantaire and Combeferre towards the door.

“So yeah time is of the essence. Bye guys! Please water Enjolras’ peace lily til we get back!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> translations for Combeferre:  
> "Ferretje" - adding 'tje' onto names is a common way for dutch people to make nicknames. His parents probably used it and everyone else picked it up. We also do it to objects. this happens all the time....  
> Godverdomme - basically "for fucks sake" wrapped up into one word  
> Kutzooi - "fuck" sort of. its a swear. just roll with it.  
> “Hey mam! Even niet praten. Als Enjolras bij jullie komt laat hem niet gaan. Wij komen er zo snel mogenlijk achteraan. Lang verhaal. Hou van je!” - "Hey mum! Don't talk right now. If Enjolras arrives at yours don't let him leave. We will follow as soon as possible. Long story. Love you!"


End file.
